Austin Health

Title
Evidence behind the exhortation? A rapid review of servant leadership's influence and claims in healthcare over the last decade.
Publication Date
2023-07-25
Author(s)
Wong, Lee Yung
Sendjaya, Sen
Wilson, Samuel
Rixon, Andrew
Subject
doctor
health system
medical leadership
organisational effectiveness
outcome
Type of document
Journal Article
OrcId
0000-0001-8918-9898
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DOI
10.1136/leader-2023-000796
Abstract
Servant leadership is an other-oriented approach to leadership with multiple positive outcomes. However, its influence in the context of medicine, particularly on healthcare leaders, is less clear. We conducted a rapid review to examine the impact of servant leadership in healthcare over the last decade. We included a total of 28 articles, 26 of which described beneficial organisational, relational and personal outcomes of servant leadership. However, most of these were either conceptual or opinion-based articles. Moreover, most quantitative studies were cross-sectional, precluding causal inferences. Our review demonstrates that the purported positive association between servant leadership and healthcare outcomes lacks a strong evidence base. We conclude by calling for more rigorous empirical research to examine the effects and potential challenges of implementing servant leadership in healthcare contexts.
Link
Citation
BMJ Leader 2023-07-25
Jornal Title
BMJ Leader
ISSN
2398-631X

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